Razor with sound detecting means



Sept. 27, 1966 J. H. WORTHINGTON 3,274,682

RAZOR WITH SOUND DETECTING MEANS Filed Feb. 28, 1964 39 5' LC1 4 1 /2 344Z A I 4/ lit-.15?- 8 5 3 23 24 1; 52 l l w u\ 4 l6 26 t 3 1, 22

L 2/ I26 2b 2 32 33 3/ l9 E INVENTOR. JOHN h. WORTH/N6 TON United StatesPatent 3,274,682 RAZOR WITH SOUND DETECTING MEANS John H. Worthington,108 Mohican Court, West Lafayette, Ind. Filed Feb. 28, 1964, Ser. No.348,037 4 Claims. (Cl. 30-34) This invention relates to razors, and moreparticularly, to razors having sound detecting means for informing theoperator whether or not the portion of the surface being shaved is cleansh-aven.

It is a primary object of the present invention to afford a novel razor.

Another object is to enable a novel razor of the type commonly known inthe trade as a safety razor to be afforded.

In shaving with safety razors, and the like, the procedure heretotforeknown has been that the person shaving drew the razor across the hairsto be cut off in a cutting operation, without any definite, immediateknowledge as to whether or not a smoot or close shave was being producedin that area. As is well known, a single stroke of the razor bladeacross an area of skin is seldom effective to produce a smooth shave ofthat entire area, but is often sufliciently effective to render itsubstantially impossible to accurately determine visually whether asatisfactory smooth shave has been produced. This is particularly truein hard-to-see areas of the body, such is, for example, along the jowls,on the neck, and the like. As a result, the procedure for shavingheretofore commonly has been for the person shaving to shave such anarea of the skin and then check the smoothness of that area with thefinger-tips, repeating this alternate shaving and checking operation asmany times as necessary to produce the desired smoothness of the shave.Using such procedure, it is not uncommon for a shaver to repeat thealternate shaving and checking of particular areas a number of timesbefore the desired smoothness of skin surface is realized. Suchprocedure is time consuming and is an important factor in the reasonswhy, heretofore, shaving has been a relatively slow process if a closeor smooth shave has been desired. It is an important object of thepresent invention to overcome such disadvantages of shaving, and toeliminate any necessity for a person to check the smoothness of any skinarea with the fingers during a shaving operation in order to determinewhether a close shave has been afforded for that area.

Another object of the present invention is to enable a person to beaccurately advised, in a novel and expeditious manner, throughout ashaving operation as to the closeness of the shave being produced.

Another object is to afford a novel razor embodying parts constitutedand arranged in a novel and expeditious manner so as to effectively emitsounds audible to the human eear effective to advise a person shavingwith the razor as to the degree of smoothness or closeness of the shavebeing produced on a particular skin area.

Yet another object is to afford a novel razor of the aforementioned typeembodying a shaving blade and a sound producing member constituted andarranged in a novel and expeditious manner.

An object ancillary to the foregoing is to enable the vibrations of theshaving blade of such a razor during a shaving operation to be pickedup, amplified and emitted as sounds audible to the human ear, in a noveland expeditious manner.

Another object is to afford a novel razor of the aforementioned typewherein the aforementioned sounds are emitted by a speaker.

A further object it to enable a novel razor of the aforementioned typeto be afforded wherein a speaker of the "ice aforementioned type may beembodied directly in the handle of the razor.

Another object it to enable a novel razor of the aforementioned type tobe afforded wherein the speaker, while being within hearing distance ofthe person shaving, is disposed in stationary position during such ashaving operation and is operatively connected to the shaving blade ofthe razor either through electrically conductive wires, or the like, orby a transmitter-receiver combination.

Another object is to afford a novel razor of the aforementioned typewhich is practical and efficient in operation, and which may be readilyand economically produced commercially.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following description and claims and are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, which, by way of illustration, show preferredembodiments of the present invention and the principles thereof and whatI now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applyingthese principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the sameor equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be madeas desired by those skilled in the art without departing from thepresent invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. '1 is a somewhat diagrammatic, side elevational view of a razorembodying the principles of the present invention, with certain .partsbroken away to show underlying parts;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, detail sectional view of a portion of the razorshown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is atop plan view of the razor shown in FIG. 1, with the razorblade and upper blade-retaining plate removed therefrom;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail sectional view takensubstantially along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 5-5 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a modified form of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a receiver, which forms a part ofthe razor shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a view somewhat similar to FIG. 1, but showing anothermodified version of the present invention.

A razor 1, embodying the principles of the present invention, is shownin FIGS. 1-5, inclusive, of the drawings, to illustrate the presentlypreferred embodiment of the present invention.

The razor 1 includes a main supporting member, preferably in the form ofan elongated handle 2, which is of such size that it may be readily heldin a mans hand. The razor 1 also includes a head 3, which in the assembled razor 1 is mounted on the upper end of the handle 2 in positionto support a razor blade 4 in operative position for a shavingoperation, in substantially the same manner as is common among safetyrazors presently available on the market.

The handle 2 includes a substantially cylindrical shaped main bodyportion 5 threadedly connected at its upper end to the lower end portionof a neck 6, FIG. 1, which tapers upwardly and inwardly from the mainbody portion 5 and terminates at its upper end in a top wall 7, FIG. 2.The top wall 7 has a threaded opening 8 extending therethrough for apurpose which will be discussed in greater detail presently.

The head 3 includes a substantially rectangular-shaped lower plate orguard plate 9, FIG. 3, having serrated, oppositely disposed longitudinaledge portions in the manner heretofore known in the art. The guard plate9 embodies an upwardly projecting rib 10, which extends along thelongitudinal center line of the upper face of the guard plate 9 andterminates at its ends in inwardly spaced relation to respective ends ofthe guard plate 9, FIGS. 1 and 3. When a razor blade, such as the blade4, is mounted in operative position on the guard plate 9, the rib 10projects upwardly through an elongated opening 11 in the blade 4, andthe longitudinal edge portions of the blade 4 are disposed in overlying,outwardly projecting relation to respective ones of the serratedlongitudinal edges of the guard plate 9,'FIG. 1. An opening 12 extendsthrough the longitudinal center of the rib 10 and the guard plate 9, fora purpose which will be discussed in greater detail presently.

The head '3 also includes a substantially rectangular- -shapedblade-retaining plate or upper plate 13, which is preferably of the samelength as the guard plate 9, but

has a width preferably corresponding to the distance between theserrated portions of the opposite longitudinal edges of the guard plate9. The upper plate 13 embodies an externally threaded member or bolt 14,which projects downwardly from the center of the lower face thereof, andalso includes an upwardly concave recess 15, FIG. 1. The recess 15 iscomplementary in crosssectional size and shape to the rib 10 on theguard plate 9, and extends completely along the longitudinal center lineof the lower face of the upper plate 13 in both directions from the bolt14.

When the head 3 is mounted in operative position on the handle 2, theguard plate 9 rests on the upper face of the top wall 7 of the neck 6,the blade 4 rests on top of the guard plate 9 with the rib 10 projectingupwardly through the blade 4 into the recess 15 in the upper plate 13,and the bolt 14 extends downwardly through the blade 4 and the guardplate 9 and is threadedly engaged in the opening 8 in the top wall 7 tothereby releasably secure the head 3 on the handle 2, with the blade 4clamped between the top plate 13 and the guard plate 9 in operativeposition for a shaving operation.

The razor 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive, of the drawings includesan ele-ctro-magnetic unit 16 for sensing or picking up vibrations of theblade 4 during a shaving operation, and converting those vibrations tosounds audible to the human ear. The electro-magnetic unit 16 includes asuitable transducer or pick-up, such as, for example, a piezo-electriccrystal 17, FIGS. 3-5, an amplifier 18 operatively connected to thepick-up 17, FIG. 1, and a speaker 19 operatively connected to theamplifier 18.

The pick-up 17 comprises a substantially rectangularshaped crystalmounted in a complementary shaped recess 20 in the upperface of theguard plate 9. Preferably, the pick-up 17 extends transversely acrossthe rib 10 on the guard plate 9, and is so disposed in the upper face ofthe guard plate 9 that when the blade 4 is disposed in operativeposition in the head 3 it rests on the upper face of the pick-up 17 inintimate contact therewith. The pick-up 17 is operatively connected tothe amplifier 18 by two wires 21 and 22, which are directly connected atone end to respective ends of the pick-up 17, the other ends of thewires 21 and 22 being connected to two connector posts 23 and 24,respectively, on the amplifier 18, FIGS. 1 and 5.

The amplifier 18 is removably supported in operative position in thelower end portion of the body portion of the handle 2 by suitable meanssuch as a hanger bracket 25 removably mounted on a mounting block 26secured in the lower end portion of the handle 2, FIG. 1. The bodyportion 5 of the handle 2 isopen at the bottom and has internal threads126 formed in the lower end portion thereof. The speaker 19 has anexternally threaded collar or flange 27 thereon which extends into thelower end of the handle 2 and is threadedly engaged with the threads 26to thereby removably mount the speaker 19 on the lower end of the handle2. The

speaker 19 is preferably relatively thin, and of a di ameter notsubstantially greater than the diameter of the main body portion 5 ofthe handle 2.

The amplifier 18 has two output connector posts 28 and 29 electricallyconnected by suitable electrical conductors, such as, for example, wires30 and 31, to two connector posts 32 and 33, respectively, on thespeaker 19, to thereby operatively electrically connect the amplifier 18to the speaker 19.

Electric power for the electro-magnetic unit 16 is preferably affordedby a battery 34 removably mounted in the handle 2 of the razor 1 abovethe amplifier 18, FIG. 1. The battery 34 may be of any suitable typereadily available on the market, but is preferably of the rechargeabletype such as, for example, a suitable nicklecadmium battery.

The. body portion 5 and the neck 60f the handle 2 are preferably made ofa suitable electrical insulation material, such as, for example, hardrubber, or a suitable plastic, or the like, and a mounting bracket 35,made of suitable electrically conductive material, such as, for example,copper, or the like, is mounted in the body portion 5 of the handle 2 inposition to support the battery 34 in operative position in the handle2. Another mounting bracket 36, made of suitable electrically conductivematerial, such as, copper, is mounted in the neck 6 of the handle 2 insuch position that when the neck 6 is disposed in operative position inthe body portion 5, the bracket 36 is disposed in engagement with theupper end of the battery 34 and is effective to releasably clamp thebattery 34 against the mounting bracket 35. When the battery 34 is thusdisposed in operative position in the handle 2, the brackets 35 and 36are operatively engaged with opposite ends thereof in operative positionto afford electrical connectors for the opposite sides of the battery34. One side of the battery 34 is connected by the bracket 35 and anelectrical conductor 37 to a connector post 38 on one side of theamplifier '18. The other side of the battery 34 is connected through thebracket 36, a conduct-or 39, a switch 40 and a conductor 41, to aconnector post 42 on the other side of the amplifier 18. The switch 40is mounted in the handle 2 and has a control button 43 pnojectingoutwardly therefrom for manually opening and closing the switch 40 tothereby open and close the electrical connection between the battery 34and the amplifier 18.

A suitable connector plug, such as a male connector plug 44, is mountedin the handle 2, with the prongs 45 and 46 thereof projecting outwardlyfrom the handle 2. The aforementioned one end of the battery 34 isconnected by the bracket 35, the conductor 37, and a conductor 47 to theprong 45; and the aforementioned other end of the battery 34 isconnected by the bracket 36, the conductor 39, and a conductor 48 to theother prong 46. Thus, it will be seen that by connecting the plug 44 toa suitable source of power, not shown, the battery 34 may be rechargedduring periods of non-use. When the razor 1 is being used in shavingoperations, it is preferably disconnected from all outside sources ofelectric power.

In the operation of the novel razor 1 in a shaving operation, the switch40 is disposed in closed position to thereby operatively connect theamplifier 18 to the battery 34. During such operation, the handle 2 isheld in the hand of the person performing the shaving operation, and theblade 4 is moved across the skin area to be shaved in a normal shavingstroke. Any vibrations of the blade 4 occurring during such a shavingstroke are picked up by the transducer 17 and transmitted thereby aselectric impulses to the amplifier 18 through the wires 21 and 22. Theamplifier 18 amplifies the signals received from the transducer 17, andfeeds the amplified signals through the conductors 36 and 31 to thespeaker 19 thus exciting the speaker 19 and causing it to emit soundsaudible to the human ear which vary in accordance with the magnitude ofthe vibrations of the blade 4. The blade 4, during a shaving stroke,vibrates considerably more when it is moving across a skin area on whichit engages hairs or whiskers in a shaving operation, than it does whenmoved across that same skin area after the whiskers or hairs have beenshaved therefrom. Therefore, considerably more noise is emitted from thespeaker 19 when the blade 4 is engaging such hairs or whiskers in ashaving operation than when the blade 4 is moving across a smoothlyshaved area, so that during a shaving stroke the operator of the novelrazor 1 is audibly advised as to Whether or not the blade 4 is movingacross a skin area from which hairs or whiskers still protrude, or ismoving across a skin area which has been cleanly shaven.

Thus, with the novel razor 1, a person may shave relatively rapidly,without it being necessary to check by feeling with the fingers orvisually whether or not the various areas being shaved have been cleanlyshaved, the sounds eminating from the speaker 19 accurately advising theperson shaving as to the condition of the skin area being shaved. With arazor embodying the principles of the present invention, the graduationsof sound eminating from the speaker preferably are such that the personshaving cannot only tell whether the particular area being shaved iscompletely unshaven or closely shaven, but can tell the degree ofunshaveness which may be remaining, the noise, which eminates from thespeaker at the beginning of a shaving operation on a heavily beardedskin area being relatively loud and in the nature of radio static, anddiminishing in intensity as the amount of protruding hairs or Whiskersbeing engaged by the blade 4 becomes less, until, when the blade 4 ispulled across a smoothly shaven skin area, very little sound eminatesfrom the speaker 19, and what sound does eminate is preferably in thenature of a soft whisper.

The modified form of my novel razor which is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7operates on the same principal as the preferred form of the razorillustrated in FIGS. l-5, inclusive, and like reference numerals havebeen used on like parts and the same reference numerals with the suffixa have been used on parts which are similar but which have beensubstituted for parts of the preferred form of my razor.

The differences between the razor 1 shown in FIGS. l5 and the razor 1ashown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are embodied in the electro-magnetic unitsthereof. In the razor 1a the amplifier 18 of the razor 1 has beenreplaced by a transmitter 49, mounted in the body portion 5 of thehandle 2; the speaker 19 has been removed from the handle 2 and replacedby a speaker 190 in a receiver 50, which is remote from the handle 2,FIG. 7;and the bottom end of the handle of the razor has been closed bya plug 51 threaded thereinto, FIG. 6.

In the razor 1a shown in FIG. 6, the transmitter 49 is connected to thewires 21 and 22 and the battery 34 in the same manner as is theamplifier 18 of the razor 1. The operation of the razor 1a is similar tothe operation of the razor 1 in that during a shaving operationvibrations of the blade 4 are picked up by the transducer 17 and soundscorresponding to those vibrations eminate from the speaker 19a. However,the transmiter 49 is not connected by physical electrical conductorssuch as the wires 30 and 31 of the razor 1 to the speaker 19a. Instead,the transmitter 49, as a result of the vibrations of the blade 4 pickedup by the transducer 17, emits radio signals which are inaudible to thehuman ear, 'but which are picked up by the receiver 50 and emitted assound, audible to the human car, from the speaker 19a.

The receiver 50 may be of any suitable type readily available on themarket, but preferably is of the type which includes suitable wires 52and a plug 53 by which it may be operatively connected to a suitablesource of electric power, not shown, such as, for example, the usualwall outlet in a bathroom, or the like. The receiver 50 also includes aswitch 54 which may be manually actuated between on and off positions tocontrol the operation of the receiver 50.

In the operation of the razor 10 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the receiver 50may be operatively connected to the aforementioned suitable source ofelectric power, and the switch 54 may be moved into on position.Thereafter, with the switch 40 in the handle 2 in on position, theoperator may move the blade 4 across an area of skin in a shavingstroke, As in the operation of the razor 1 shown in FIG. 1, thevibrations of the blade 4 caused by the engagement of the blade 4 withmany, few, or no whiskers in such a shaving stroke are clearlydetectable by the person shaving by the sound or amount of noiseeminating from the speaker 19a, the noise eminating from the speaker 19awhen the blade 4 is being drawn across a heavily bearded area beingrelatively great and in the nature of static and the noise eminatingfrom the speaker 19a when the blade 4 is being drawn across a cleanlyshaven skin area being relatively little and in the nature of a whisper.

Thus, it will be seen that the razor 1a shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, like therazor 1. shown in FIG. 1, affords a novel and practical razor which iseffective to clearly indicate to a person shaving therewith whether thearea being shaved is clean shaven or not.

The modified form of razor which is shown in FIG. 8 operateson the sameprincipal as the forms of razor shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive, andFIGS. 6 and 7, and like reference numerals have been used on the likeparts, and the same reference numerals with the suffix b have been usedon parts which are similar but which have been substituted for parts ofthe forms shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, inclusive.

In the razor 1b, shown in FIG. 8, the head 3 is of the same constructionas the head of the razor 1 shown in FIG. 1, and is mounted on the handle2b in the same manner. Also, the head 3 includes a transducer like thetransducer 17 in the razor 1, but the wires 21 and 22 connected theretoextend from the handle 2b and are operatively connected to suitableconnector posts 55 and 56, respectively, on a receiver 5011, which maybe positioned remotely from the handle 21). The receiver 5011 includes aspeaker 19b and may be operatively connected to a suitable source ofelectric power by means of a cord 52 and a plug 53 in the same manner asthe receiver 50 shown in FIG. 7. The receiver 5% includes a manuallyoperable switch 54 for turning it on and off.

In the operation of the razor 1b, the vibrations of the blade 4 arepicked up by the transducer, not shown, mounted in the head 3 in thesame manner as the transducer 17 in the razor 1, the transducerconverting the vibrations to electrical impulses which are fed throughthe wires 21 and 22 to the receiver 50b. The impulses received by thereceiver 50b are amplified therein by a suitable amplifier, not shown,and the amplified impulses or signals are fed to the speaker 19b tothereby cause the speaker 19b to'emit sounds in accordance with thevibrations of the *blade 4.

Thus, it will be seen that the operation of the razor 1b is on the sameprinciple as that of the razors 1 and 1a, the sounds eminating from thespeaker 19b during a shaving operation affording a clear indication tothe person shaving as to the smoothness of the skin area being shaved.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my novel invention affords anovel razor which provides a person using the same with a constant checkas to the quality of the shave which has been produced, without checkingthe shaved area visually or by feeling with the hand.

Also, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novel razorwith which clean shaves may be quickly and easily accomplished.

In addition, it will be seen that the present invention affords a novelrazor which is practical and efficient in operation and which may bereadily and economically produced commercially.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodimentsof my invention, it is to be understood that these are capable ofvariation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited tothe precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchchanges and alterations as fall within the purview of the followingclaims.

I claim: 1. A razor for shaving comprising (a) a handle, (b) a blade (1)removably carried by said handle, and (2) having a sharp edge projectingoutwardly from said handle in operative position to cut hairs in ashaving operation, (c) means carried by said handle in position topickup vibrations of said blade, (d) a speaker, and (e) meansoperatively connected to said first-mentioned means for operativelyactuating said speaker in accordance with such vibrations of said bladepicked up by said first-mentioned means and thereby convert saidvibrations to sound emitting from said speaker. 2. A razor as defined inclaim 1, and in which (a) said speaker is carried by said handle. 3. Arazor as defined in claim 1, and in which (a) said second-mentionedmeans comprises an amplifier carried by said handle and operativelyconnected to said speaker.

4. A razor as defined in claim 3, and in which (a) said speaker ismounted on said handle and supported thereby.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,858 6/1933Miessner 3l09.7X 2,256,871 9/1941 Silver 34 2,666,862 1/1954 Branson3109.7X 2,748,372 5/1956 Bunds 340-261X 3,094,115 6/1963 POIlI] 128-213,095,730 7/1963 Matheson 73- 67 3,121,286 2/1964 Schneiderman 3034FOREIGN PATENTS 1,211,860 10/1959 France.

1,052,265 3/1959 Germany.

1,122,869 1/1962 Germany.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MYRON C. KRUSE, Examiner.

1. A RAZOR FOR SHAVING COMPRISING (A) A HANDLE, (B) A BLADE (1)REMOVABLY CARRIED BY SAID HANDLE, AND (2) HAVING A SHARP EDGE PROJECTINGOUTWARDLY FROM SAID HANDLE IN OPERATIVE POSITION TO CUT HAIRS IN ASHAVING OPERATION, (C) MEANS CARRIED BY SAID HANDLE IN POSITION TOPICKUP VIBRATIONS OF SAID BLADE, (D) A SPEAKER, AND (E) MEANSOPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS FOR OPERATIVELYACTUATING SAID SPEAKER IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH VIBRATIONS OF SAID BLADEPICKED UP BY SAID FIRST-MENTIONED MEANS AND THEREBY CONVERT SAIDVIBRATIONS TO SOUND EMITTING FROM SAID SPEAKER.